Criminal Justice News

Friday, January 09, 2015

Asbestos Victim Advice

At first, the silicate mineral asbestos seemed like a wonder
building material.It has many extraordinary
physical properties such as it absorbs sounds, has a relatively high tensile
strength and is resistant to heat.These
physical properties led manufacturers world-wide to use asbestos in the
production of a wide variety of construction materials and consumer goods.As examples, asbestos was used a building insulation,
wiring insulation and vehicle brake pads.

Unfortunately, asbestos also has serious health risks.It was noted as far back as Roman Times that
slaves who worked in the asbestos mines became ill.Beginning in the early part of the 20th
Century, modern-day researchers began to link deaths and lung-related illness
to working in asbestos mines.By the
mid-20th Century the link between the inhalation of asbestos dust and
lung-related illnesses such as mesothelioma was well established.

Although the scientific link between asbestos and
lung-related health issues was well known, court cases in the 1970s revealed
that certain officials within the asbestos industry concealed the dangers from
their workers and the general public.Today, because of the danger, asbestos is generally banned in
construction and manufacturing.

Although banned, millions of people world-wide were exposed
to asbestos during mining, processing, manufacturing and even as
consumers.